- Slashes tickets for commercial drivers
Cross River State governor, Senator Bassey Otu, has restricted the activities of Vehicle Inspection Officers (VIO) to their offices.
The restriction was conveyed in a Saturday statement by the governor’s media aide, Mr. Linus Obogo, saying that mini-bus drivers and tricycle riders are exempted from the purchase of tickets on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
Apparently, the decision followed the recent protest by commercial bus drivers in the Calabar metropolis and the concerns raised by residents over the high cost of transport tickets, excessive fines, and alleged harassment by enforcement teams of the Commercial Transport Regulatory Agency (CTRA), the Traffic Management and Regulatory Agency (TRAMRA), and the VIO.
“In a similar vein, the operations of VIO are now restricted to its offices. In the spirit of the governor’s ‘Season of Sweetness,’ mini-bus drivers and tricycle riders are also exempted from the purchase of tickets on Saturdays, Sundays, and public holidays.
“These directives take effect from Monday, March 9, 2026, and the general public is urged to cooperate fully with the relevant agencies,” according to the statement issued by the governor’s Chief Press Secretary and Special Adviser on Media and Publicity.
He added that the governor approved the measures to ease the burden on drivers and restore order in the system, following the outcome of the meeting involving the Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Special Adviser on General Duties to the governor, and other critical stakeholders in the transport sector.
The government reduced daily tickets for commercial bus operators from N850 to N500, while the fine for failure to purchase the ticket was reduced to N10,000.
“In addition, all traffic-related fines have been cut by 50 per cent and are to be paid only into designated Cross River State Government accounts.
“Similarly, tickets for tricycle riders have been reduced from N1,200 to N500, while riders are expected to terminate operations by 6pm as night operations are hereby permanently banned.
“Furthermore, CTRA is to focus strictly on the registration of commercial vehicles, the sale of tickets at approved rates, and enforcement of ticket compliance, with all enforcement personnel required to operate in proper uniform and with verifiable identification. TRAMRA is also to confine its operations to its statutory traffic management duties,” he added.
According to the statement, all dues, levies, or fines are henceforth to be paid into “an underlisted government account number: TIN NO.: 1900737994 – 001; PAYER’S NAME: DOPT, CALABAR; REVENUE CODE: 402064;
REVENUE DESCRIPTION: ROAD TAXES/PENALTY FEE”.